Gearing for turbine-driven torpedoes



Feb, 3. i925. l,525,l70

' w. DIETER @mame FOR TURBINE DRIVEN ToRPEDos Filed Aug. 9, 1922 2shams-sheet 1 INVENTOR Feb. 3. 1925. v w. DIETER GEARING FOR TURBINEDRIVEN -TORPIJDOESl Fi1`ed Aug. 9, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feel-3.1925.

wrulrgu marmer-nawak?, NEW JERSEY.

esame ron ruanmE-n romances.

applicati@ med August s, 1922. serial No. 580,723.

siding inNewark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have.invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Gearings forTurb1ne-Dr1ven Torpedoes, of

which the following vis a specification.

This invention relates to automobile to-rpedoes driven by turbineengines. As the turbine revolves at a speed much higherthan thepropellers, i-t is necessary to provide .a train of gearing for reducingthe turblne speed to that required for the propeller shafts. Insome'instances the turbine wheels turn in opposite directions, as setforth in the patent to F.. M. Leavitt, No. 1,088,080, dated `February24, 1914. In other cases the two turbine wheels are fixed on one shaft,

as set forth in patent to William Dieter, No. 1,407,262, February 21.1922.

The present invention aims to adapt the mechanism for the transmissionof a higher power, so as to increase the speed of thetorpedo. It alsoprovides an improved construction having certain other advantages, aswillbe set forth. l

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying.drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal midsection of the turbine wheels,nest of gearing, and supporting parts, to which the present -inventionrelates.

Fig. 2 is a plan thereof partly broken away, and partly in section online 2-2 in- 'Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2, lookingA fromaft toward the bow ofthe torpedc'. Fig. 4 is arear elevation of the mainframe alone. I

Fig. 5 is a plan of the frame structure, the top frame being removed.

Fig. 61s a fragmentary diagrammatic view corresponding to Fig. .2,showing'a modified construction.

In the construction shown, the turbine wheels D D are arranged to rotatein opposite directions, as in said Leavitt patent. The lsecond stagewheel D is mounted on an inner shaft E, while the first stage wheel D ismounted on a tubular shaft E. On the shaft E is a pinion F, while on theshaft E is a. pinion F. These pinions F F correspond to thelike-lettered pinions in said Leavitt patent, which in that patent meshwith spur gears G G respectlvely, which at their hubs are formed withbevel pinions H H respectively. The pinions H H mesh on the fore sidewithl a bevel gear J, and on the aft side with a bevel gear J Thesebevel gears are fixed respectively on the inner propeller. shaft C, andthe outer tubular propeller shaft C', which extend aft and carry therespective oppositely-revolving propellers in the well known manner.According to the present construction, the same gears G G, pinions HI-I, and gears J-J,

are employed, with the same arrangement.;

but instead of driving the gears G G direct- 1y from the pinions F F,these respective gears and pinions are out of mesh, as shown in Fig. 2',and each pinion F or F communicates motion to its corresponding gearthrough the interposition` of two .intermediate gears M M or M"M. Thearrangement is shown in- Fig. 2 with respect to the pinion F', gears MM', and gear G. Precisely thel same arrangement is employed on the'lower level with respect to the pinion F.

gears M M, and gear G.V The gears M M are of a size intermediate thepinion .and large gear, the vproportions shown ,being suitable.

This arrangement of gearing enables twice ythe power at the same speed,or twice the torque iat any speed, to be communicated from the turbineshafts to the gears G G', with the same strength of pinions and gears,that is, with teeth of a given size; this is because instead of theentire transmission` from each pinion being alt onlylone side, it occurson two opposite sides, and the trans-A mission to the gears-G G likewiseoccurs at two'points instead of one. Thus, with the same factor ofsafety the gearing can transmit doublethe pressure, or, at a givenspeed,l

double-the power. This has, in addition, the following importantadvantages:

1. Inasmuch as each pinion F and F is transmitting equal and oppositerotative Vthrusts on diametrically opposite sides to the gears M M or MM', it results that the reaction from the ,thrust on one side exactlyequals that on the opposite side, and

Aoccurs in the contrary'direction, so that instead of the driving torqueresulting in crowding the shaft against one side of its bearings, the'reactions are practically balanced, so that there is no effectivetendency to. crowd the axis of the shaft to either side, andconsequently any side thrust or reactive thrust of the turbine shafts intheir bearings is reduced to negligible limits. It results from thisthat the frictional losses heretofore encountered by' reason of suchreactive thrusts upon the turbine shaft or shafts are eliminated, with acorresponding saving in power.

2. The indirect transmission from the'v small pinions F F to the largegears G G enables the transmission of power to be accomplished moreladvantageously. It ris known to mechanics that the extreme practicableratio in direct driving-from a pinion to a gear wheel is 1:5, beyondwhich there is introduced a wedging action between the gear teeth whichwould be impracticable for any serious power transmission, so-that anyhigher ratio is never used where heavy drives are required, and would beespecially undesirable at high speed. In practice, the required ratio ofreduction from turbine to propeller speeds makes it desirable in theproportioning of the train of gearing to apply this extreme ratio of 5:1as between the pinions and large gears. Nevertheless, this ratioinvolves an undesirabledegree of wedging and rubbing v'action at thetooth faces, and at the higher speed which the present invention aims tomake practicable, that ratio would be even more undesirable. Accordingto the present invention, by inter osing the gears M M it is possible,by ma ing these gears of a suitable intermediate number of teeth, toreduce the respective ratios to between 1:2 and 1:3. Vith these ratiosit is possible to brin the coacting faces of the teeth into so 'c ose anapproach to perpendicularity to the .direction of thrust as tocommunicate the motion with the greatest approach to a direct push, and

with the least wedging and rubbing action.

Accordingly, it results fromsthe present inventionthat the transmissionis at the gear teeth comparatively frictionless, and there is also thefurther advantage that the operation is accompanied with substantialabsence of vibration and greatly diminished noise.

The present invention further introduces improvements in the framing,whereby the bearings for the respective shafts and gears are supported.

The respective turbine shafts E E', which are arranged to turn on avertical axis, are mounted in bearings, preferably'ball bearings, in topand bottom frames Q Q, and an intermediate frame P. The frame P is shownseparately in Fig. ,4, viewed from thel rear, and'is shown. '1n-plan inFig. 5 with the lower frame Q; the upper frame Q being removed. It isshown in Fig. 4 as of substantially H-shape, its middle cross barsupporting. a boss P which serves as a thrust hearing for the innerpropeller shaft in Fig. 1. The frame P is extended later ally'to bothsides, and is formed with` vertically-eisitended flanges P, whereby todis` tribute the thrust of the propellers over a large area' of thetransverse bulkhead K of the torpedo. These lateral flanges extendoutward into close relation with the shell y or hull A of the torpedo,so that the propul` sive thrust is not thrown primarily upon the middleof the bulkhead as hertofore, but iscarried outward to the strongjointconnection between the bulkhead and hull, whereby the thrust iscommunicated in substantially direct manner to the hulll ratherA thanthe bulkhead, thereb contributing to the strength of the torpe o, andespecially enabling it to resist the greater strains to which a torpedodesigned to run at higher l speeds than those heretofore used will besubjected. The frame P may be fastened to the bulkhead by bolts s swhich may take into the joint between the bulkhead and hull, and also,if desired, by screws or bolts f t which may engage the bulkhead.` Thetop and bottom frames Q Q are fastened at their bases against the topand bottom ends of the flanges P, and are formed with openingscoinciding with the opening 79 for the passage of the turbine shaftsland for receiving the top and bottom bearings z', j, for these shafts,these bearings being shown as ball bearings, and the lower one, j, beingshown as vertically adjustable, as heretofore. These bearings i y' arethus housed .in the frames Q Q instead of in a tubular housing confinedbetween these frames, as in the construction shown in my said Patent No.1,407,262. The frames Q Q also provide bearings for the gear wheels M M.As shownk in Fig. 3, a xed stud R extends vertically between theseframes and serves as the journal around which the gears M M revolve.These gears are formed with tubular hubs of larger diameter, as shown atthe right in Fig.l 3, and' anti-friction rollers 1- 7' are arranged inthe intervening annular space to form an anti-friction bearing for theresppctive gears. A crosshead S is connected y studs T T to the frame P.The middle part of this crosshead is formed with an annular enlargementthrough which the propeller shafts pass, and which supports a bearing 7c(shown as a ball bearing) for they outer shaft-G.

bearing for the'gears G G and pinions H H, as heretofore, is supportedat its ends by the frames Q Q. 'This shaft is laterally steadied byhorizontal pins wz, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, fastened to its central huband The vertical stud, or fixed frame which affords the pivotal havingeyes which fit around the studs T ',l. 'llie frames Q Q are ofsubstantially A-shape and afford very rigid connections between theframe I and the main frame P, and lbetween the frame `I and the axialstuds R` R of the gears M M', so that the gears G and M M are held incorrect mesh." The studs R R are preferably constructed to pass at theirmiddle portions through holes u w in the frame P, and are threaded attheir ends to receive nuts :r :r by which tlrey'are firmly clamped tothe frames Q, Q. The whole structure is extremely `rigid, 'whilepreserving the minimum of weight.

The shafts C C are carried in bearings n and 0, as heretofore. thesebeing preferably'ball bearings, as shown.

lVliile the construction shown is believed to be the best embodiment ofvmy invention, I do not desire to confine myself thereto, as

the construction may be `varied' in manyr respectswithin the scope ofthe appended claims. For example, the intermediate gears M M might bemodified by forming each with two sets of teeth of different radius, asshownv--in Fig. the teeth 'w of larger radius meshing with the teeth' ofthe pinion F or I4". while' the teeth o of smaller radius mesh with theteeth of the gear G In thisw'ay part of the gearing down may occurbetween the pinion F or F', and the gear G or G.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a turbine-driven torpedo having refactor of safety, and of a sizeintermediate,

l that of the pinion and large gear wheel.

3. In a turbine-driven torpedo having reducing gearing between theturbine and propeller shafts comprising a pinion on a tiirf bine shaft,a large gear wheel driven therefrom carrying` a bevel pinion, and largebevel gears on the propeller shafts n'i'eshing with opposite sides ofsaid bevel pinion, framing therefor comprising a main frame having acentral bearing for a prtpeller shaft and extending outwardly adjacentthe torpedo hull to transmit the driving thrust thereto, and top andbottom frames fixed to saidinain frame and affording ,supports for thebearings of the turbine shaft and 7gear wheels. v

ducing gearing lbetween the turbine and propeller shafts comprising apinion on av turbine shaft, a large gear wheelV driven therefromcarrying a' bevel pinion, andpropeller shaft and extending outwardlyadjaeent the torpedo hull,to transmit the driving thrust'tliereto, topand bottom frames fixed to said main frame and afford.

ing supports for the bearings of the turbine dueing gearing between theturbine and two shaft and gear wheels, and a crossheadoppositely-revolving propeller shafts com*- prising a pinion on aturbine shaft, a large gearwlieel on an axis parallel with that of theturbine shaft driven ltherefrom and carrying a bevel pinion, and .largebevel gears on the propeller shafts meshing with opposite sides of saidbevel pinion, the combination therewith-of two balanced intermediategears mesliing with said turbine shaft pinion on opposite sides, so asto balance the torque reaction thereon, and-transmitting rotation tosaid large gear wheel at two points so as-with given proportions tovpinions, the combination therewith ofI two' balanced intermediate gearsIn the planes of the turbine pinion and large gear wheels meshing witheach turbine shaft pinion on opposite sides, and ,transmitting rotationto united to said main frame and having a Vpropeller shaft bearing.

f5. In a turbine-driven torpedo having reducing gearing benveen theturbine and propeller shafts' comprising a pinion on a turbine shaft, alarge gear wheel driven p therefrom carrying a bevel pinion, and largebevel gears on the propeller shafts meshing with opposite sides ofv saidbevel pinion, the combinaton therewith of two balanced in- 4. In aturbine-driven .torpedo having ref ino termediate gears meshing withsaid turbine shaft pinion on oppositesides, and framing thereforcomprising a main'H frame, top and bottom frames fixed thereto, andstuds passing through said intermediate gears and i fastened at theirendsfto said top and bottom frames. f .i

6. In a turbine-driven torpedo having reducing gearing between theturbine and propeller shafts comprising a pinion on a tur'- bine shaft,a large gear wheel driven therefrom carrying a bevel inion, and largebevel gears, on the propel er shafts meshing with opposite sides of saidbevel pinion, a transverse bulkhead, and framing comprising a main frameextending outwardly ad? jacent the torpedo hull and attached to saidbulkhead, a cross-liead united to Said main frame, bearings for ltherespective pro eller shafts in said main frame and cross ead,

and topand bottom frames fined to said i main frame and h'aving`bearings for said gear Wheel and bevel pinion. 7. In a turbne-drlventorpedo having reducing gearingI between the turbine' andxpropeller shaftsccomprising a pinion orina. turbine shaft, allarge gearlwheel drive'n therefrom carrying a bevel pinion, and large therefromcarrying a bevel pinion, and large bevel gears on the propeller 'shaftsmeshing with opposite sides of jsaid bevel pinion, a transversebulkhead, and framing comprising a main frame having at its middle athrust bearing for a propeller shaft, extended thence diametrical'ly ofthe torpedo, with means for attaching it to the torpedo liull fortransmitting the'jpropeller thrust thereto.

9. Ina turbine-driven torpedo having redueing gearing between theturbine and propeller shafts comprising a pinion on the turbine shaft, alarge gear Wheel driven therefrom carrying a bevel pinion, and largebevel gearson the propeller shafts meshing with opposite sides of saidbevel pinion, a

.transverse bulkhead,l and framing comprising avmam frame having a..center thrustbearing for afpropeller shaft, extended dialmetrically ofthe torpedo and bearing against the torpedo hull for transmitting thelpropeller thrust thereto, and top and bottom frames fixed to said mainframe and having bearings for said gear Wheel and. bevel pinion.

10. In a turbine-driven torpedo having reducing gearing between-.theturbine and propeller shafts comprising a pinion on a turbine shaft, alarge gear wheel driven therefrom carrying a bevel pinion, and largebevel gears on the propeller shafts meshing with opposite sides of saidbevel pinion, a transverse bulkhead, and framingcomprising a main frameextending across the torpedo hull and attached to said bulkhead, havinga central thrust bearing for a propeller shaft, and top and bottomframes fixed to lsaid main frame and having bearings for the turbineshaft and gear` wheels.

A1l.v In a turbine-driven torpedo according to claim l, the framing forthe respective shafts and gearing comprising a main frame extendingacross the torpedo and having a central thrust bearing for a propellershaft,

and top and bottom' frames fixed thereto,

and bearing means for said intermediate gears vcarried between said topand bottom frames. l

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

WILLIAM` DIETER.

